Michel M. Maharbiz (Advisor)

We have successfully adapted a consumer-grade inkjet printer for use as a means of controlling spatio-temporal gene expression in 2D cell culture. Specifically, we take advantage of a high-resolution printer designed to print on the surface of CDs. By modifying CD surfaces to contain customized Petri dish wells, we are able to culture E. coli in the wells and print various morphogens onto the surface of the culture. By varying the geometry of printed patterns of lactose and glucose we have demonstrated spatiotemporal control over the genetic activity of the lac operon. Having...

Nearly all medical implants and tissue engineered structures (i.e. lab-grown organs) are implanted or grown in a manner where it is difficult to non-destructively assess performance or progress and to make adjustments on the fly. For instance, suppose we wish to engineer a vascular graft to repair a damaged coronary blood vessel. In this case, we would start by taking a scaffold material shaped like a blood vessel and then coating it with endothelial and smooth muscle cells. We would then 'grow' the structure in a bioreactor for a fixed period of time and then implant it into the...

Despite major advances, performance of micro air vehicles (MAV's) is still limited in terms of size, payload capacity, endurance, and controllability. Various species of insects have as-yet unmatched flight capabilities and increasingly well understood muscular and nervous systems. Additionally, some of these insects undergo complete metamorphosis making them amenable to implantation and internal manipulation during metamorphosis. In light of this, we attempt to create implantable bio-interface to electrically stimulate nervous and muscular systems of alive insect to control its...

This project focuses on the research aspects concerning the harvesting of energy from glucose in order to power autonomous, self-sustainable MEMS implants by the aid of an abiotically catalyzed micro fuel cell. The results will demonstrate a novel fuel cell architecture that first separates the oxygen at the cathode from the glucose – oxygen mixture present in the body fluid with the aid of diffusion and the use of an oxygen selective catalyst at the cathode. The in vitro prototypes will demonstrate the energy conversion from chemically stored energy (glucose) to electrical energy...